How many conventional cruise missiles to sink the USS Missouri?

[Elendil_s_Heir]

[QUOTE=mlees]
…The Missouri grounded on a shoal in 1950, and had to be repaired in the drydock that the Kentucky’s hull was in…

[/QUOTE]

Yikes. Did the captain or the OOD get canned?

[mlees]

[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]
Yikes. Did the captain or the OOD get canned?
[/QUOTE]

From this site: http://www.factplace.com/mightymo.htm

Wasn’t she run aground once? Yes, in January 1950 she was run aground off Hampton Roads. Captain William Brown was court-martialed as a result, and never commanded a ship again before he retired. Contrary to rumor there was no serious or lasting damage to the ship as a result of the grounding; thanks in part to the quick actions of some of Missouri’s engineers who shut the engines down before the intake valves could completely clog with mud.

[Tranquilis]

[QUOTE=mlees]
On the Iowa class, Wiki says that the conning tower is located “in the middle of the bridge”, which, if correct, would make it hard to see in photos… I will try to confirm elsewhere.

Found a pic on this site: http://www.ussiowa.org/general/html/specifications.htm
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[QUOTE=mlees]
And here: http://www.ussiowa.org/pics/mothball/mb13.jpg
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For a really informitive shot of the bridge/conning tower, go here. That first image is of the interior of one of the bridges (flag bridge, most likely), with the access door to the conning tower open. That should give you a visceral idea of the levels of armor we’re talking about. Obviously, the conning towers were massively heavy, and so kept as small as possible.